International Petroleum Museum & Exposition

The "Mr. Charlie" was built in 1952 and finished in 1953.  The "Mr. Charlie" drilled hundreds of offshore wells off the coast of Morgan City, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico from 1954 to 1986.  This model represents what the "Mr. Charlie" would look like after completion.
 
 

The barge that supports the "Mr. Charlie" was approximately 220 feet long and 85 wide.  The barge is 14 feet deep and the floor of the platform was 60 feet above the barge supported by massive legs that served as a conduit for connecting services such as: electricity, water and air lines, elevator access and other services needed to operate an independent facility, out of sight of land.  Here a heliport was added as another way of transportaion for the workers.  Before this feature the only way to reach the rig was by boat.
 

The "Mr. Charlie" revolutionized the offshore oil industry in the Gulf and world-wide. He was retired in 1986 when drilling activity headed into deeper waters than his "feet".  However, this historic structure continues in a new role, teaching others about an industry that changed the world known as the "Offshore Oil Industry".